Musical instrument



v(No Model.)

G. ALMGRANTZ.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 542,788. Patented July 16, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICEo GERHARD ALMCRANTZ, CF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,788, dated July 16, 1895.

Application filed October 17, 1894. Serial Noi526|169 (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, GERHARD ALMCRANTZ, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, of which the followingisaspecification.

My invention relates to musical instru ments and particularly to guitars and the like, and has for its object to provide certain improvements hereinafter more fully described.

It is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure lis a plan view of my invention and improvements as applied to a guitar. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a detailed cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like parts are indicated by the saine letters in all the figures.

A is the body, hollow and shaped much in the usual form. It is provided with the oval opening B.

C is the bridge, preferably made longer than in ordinary guitars and provided with three thickened portions D D, each to receive the upper end of a thumb-screw E, which has within the body of the guitar the head F and passes through a washer G, through the top of the body,and into such thickened portion.

II and J are the necks .joined at both ends, and together constituting a single neck much wider than that commonly employed. On this neck are the two heads K and L. In the form of the device here shown the head K is provided with six pegs M M, which may be of the usual construction, for the six ordinary strings N N, which are secured, of course, at the other' end to the bridge. The head L, as here shown, is provided with the five pegs O O for the tive bass strings I P. Each peg, of course, has the usual pinion R engaging the worm S on the thumb-piece T, whereby the strings may be tightened.

V is an enlarged portion in the forward end of the body, and V is an enlarged portion downwardly depending from the neck at the point V2, where the two necks join to form one. This downwardly-enlarged portion has an inwardly-projecting part V 3, which is V- shaped in crosssection and is adapted to be received into a similarly-shaped aperture in the enlarged part V of the body. Thus the two parts are dovetailed together, as it were. Vithin the parts V' and V3 is firmly set the screw-socket V1 to receive the thumb-screw V5, which passes through the part V and has a head V6 provided with a thumb-piece V7, the head being adapted to bear upon the collar VS.

The neck H is provided with the frets IV, and, if required, of course similar frets could be put upon the neck J. Y

The bass strings orstrings of the neck J, it will be observed, are longer than the strings on the neck H, but all of these strings pass substantially over the oval hole B.

The portion of the neckor necks which projects over the upper surface of the body is preferably held slightly separated from such surface, as indicated in Fig. 2, the union between the neck and the body being made by means of the thumb-screw and dovetailed parts alone.

It is evident that these parts could be considerabiy changed and varied and some of them omitted and these features be deviated from without departing entirely from the spirit ot' my invention. Moreover, it is evi` dent that so far as these improvements may be desirable they are capable of being incorporated with other musical instruments-as, for example, violins and the like.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: The device as here shown in the first place is capable of a more extended use' than guitars as ordinarily made. I have the usual six strings and at the same time the additional bass strings varying among themselves as occasion may require. Of course all the strings may be varied and changed so as to produce new and desirable combinations. Moreover, in this case the bass strings are capable of being considerably prolonged or lengthened. The oval hole permits me to use an extended number of strings, while at the same time keeping the width of the hole'when taken in a line longitudinal with the instrument such as found most desirable.

The method of attaching the bridge, as also the method of attaching the neck, is such that by inserting the hand through the hole,

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the strings having been slightly loosened, either part may be removed or both may be removed, so as to leave the body of the instrument in convenient shape for repolishing and finishing.

. The means which I employ for attaching the neck furnishes a strong and secure connection, and at the same time the inwardlyprojecting portion of the neck is separated from so as not to interfere with the soundingboard action of the body.

I am aware of the patent to H. J Hansen, No. 459,932, of September 24, 1891, but I consider my guitar to have novel features not therein shown and which I have pointed out in the claims.

I claimt 1. In a musicalfinstrument the colnbination of a body, a double neck consisting of a single piece with a part of its middle portion removed and provided with two sets of strings, the body and neck provided with dove-tailed interlocking portions by which they are removably connected together, so that one portion of the double neck is on each side of the center line of the instrument, a screw adapted to pass through the body of the instrument and into the dovetailed portion of the neck to hold the two together, the head of said screw projecting within the hollow of the body, whereby no part of the outside of the neck or body is mutilated by the fastening device, and a removable bridge placed equidistant from the sides of the instrument so as to bring the two sets of strings over the sound hole, said bridge attached to said body by screws having removable heads or nuts located within the hollow of the body of the instrument.

2. Thecombinationinamusicalinstrument of a body, a double neck, provided with two sets of strings, and consisting of a single piece with a part of its middle'portion removed so that neither neck will interfere with the tingering of vthe other, the body and neck pro vided with dovetailed interlocking portions by which both necks are removably connected to said body, so that the centerline of theinstrument passes between them, a screw adapted to pass through the body of the instrument and into the dovetailed portion of the neck to hold the two together, said screw adapted to beinserted into said neck from within the hollow of the body so that the outside of the neck will not be mutilated thereby,both necks being connected to the body of the instrument so that neither one of them comes in contact with the sound board; a removable bridge placed equidistant from the sides of the instrument, the two necks and the bridge being so arranged that both sets of strings are brought over the sound hole, said bridge attached to said body by screws having removable heads or nuts located within the hollow of the body of the instrument substantially as described.

3. The combination in a guitar of a body having a double neck consisting of a single piece withthe central portion removed but connected together at the ends, said neck being secured to the body ot' the instrument so that the center line'of the instrument passes between the two parts -of the neck, a bridge fastened to the body of theiustrument so that its ends will be equidistant from the sides thereof, a set of strings fastened to each part of the neck and connected to said bridge, an oval hole in the upper side of the body, said neck and bridge so positioned as to bring all of the strings substantially over said hole.

Signed at Chicago, October 15, 1894.

GERHARD ALMCRANTZ.

In presence of- FRANcIs M. IRELAND, JNO. I-I. COULTER. 

